NCCCO load chart practice questions
NCCCO load chart practice questions, free: work through 10 original problems on two invented hydraulic telescopic-boom style charts. Practice selecting a cell, subtracting deductions and checking a payload against net capacity.
Practice a 10-problem set
Ten chart-reading problems across both practice charts, each with a step-by-step solution. Enter the same seed to retry the exact set you missed.
Active seed: 20261017 · Answered 0 of 10 · Correct 0
Problem 1 of 10 · Practice A
All conditions in Practice A apply. Loaded radius: 40 ft. Main-boom length: 100 ft.
What is the gross chart capacity (lb)? Do not subtract deductions for this question.
Practice A: hydraulic telescopic main boom
PRACTICE CHART: invented for training. Not any manufacturer's chart and not an exam chart.
Lift area: 360° on fully extended outriggers. Fictional standard counterweight installed; crane level on firm support; stationary main-boom lifts only. No on-tire or pick-and-carry ratings.
| Radius (ft) | 40 ft boom | 60 ft boom | 80 ft boom | 100 ft boom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 36,000S | 32,000S | 28,000S | 24,000S |
| 20 | 36,000S | 32,000S | 28,000S | 24,000S |
| 30 | 24,000T | 24,000T | 24,000T | 24,000S |
| 40 | — | 18,000T | 18,000T | 18,000T |
| 50 | — | 14,400T | 14,400T | 14,400T |
Bold stepped line: S = synthetic structural limit above the line; T = synthetic stability limit below it. Both are limits. This line is not a safe/unsafe divider.
- For these practice charts only: keep an exact row/column; between entries, use the next longer radius and next longer boom. Do not interpolate or extrapolate.
- A dash means no rating. Do not substitute another cell. Practice range: radius 10–50 ft, main boom 40–100 ft; radius must not exceed boom length minus 10 ft.
- Use the stated lift area and setup. Practice B has no over-front or over-side rating. An erected jib is unloaded here; these are not jib-tip ratings.
- Subtract one active hoist attachment, one jib allowance and the specified rigging. No other suspended gear is present in these problems; do not subtract the same item twice.
Invented deductions (lb): hook block 600; headache ball 200; jib removed 0 / stowed 800 / erected 1,800; rigging as given in each problem.
View the other practice chart
Practice B: hydraulic telescopic main boom
PRACTICE CHART: invented for training. Not any manufacturer's chart and not an exam chart.
Lift area: over rear only on fully extended outriggers. Fictional standard counterweight installed; crane level on firm support; stationary main-boom lifts only. No on-tire or pick-and-carry ratings.
| Radius (ft) | 40 ft boom | 60 ft boom | 80 ft boom | 100 ft boom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 30,000S | 26,000S | 22,000S | 18,000S |
| 20 | 27,000T | 26,000S | 22,000S | 18,000S |
| 30 | 18,000T | 18,000T | 18,000T | 18,000S |
| 40 | — | 13,500T | 13,500T | 13,500T |
| 50 | — | 10,800T | 10,800T | 10,800T |
Bold stepped line: S = synthetic structural limit above the line; T = synthetic stability limit below it. Both are limits. This line is not a safe/unsafe divider.
- For these practice charts only: keep an exact row/column; between entries, use the next longer radius and next longer boom. Do not interpolate or extrapolate.
- A dash means no rating. Do not substitute another cell. Practice range: radius 10–50 ft, main boom 40–100 ft; radius must not exceed boom length minus 10 ft.
- Use the stated lift area and setup. Practice B has no over-front or over-side rating. An erected jib is unloaded here; these are not jib-tip ratings.
- Subtract one active hoist attachment, one jib allowance and the specified rigging. No other suspended gear is present in these problems; do not subtract the same item twice.
Invented deductions (lb): hook block 500; headache ball 150; jib removed 0 / stowed 700 / erected 1,600; rigging as given in each problem.
Print a set or send it to your class
Print this set puts the active set on paper: the ten problems with answer lines, both practice charts and, on a separate page, an answer key that shows every step. Work it in pencil, then check it here with the same seed. Choose your browser's PDF option to keep a copy.
Copy a link to this set opens the same ten problems for whoever you send it to, so a trainer and a class, or two study partners, work one set and compare answers.
Two worked chart problems
Try these on the small made-up chart below before you open the tool. It is invented for teaching, so the numbers match no crane. For this chart, when your radius falls between two listed rows, use the next larger radius.
| Radius | 60 ft boom | 80 ft boom |
|---|---|---|
| 20 ft | 30,000 | 26,000 |
| 30 ft | 21,000 | 19,000 |
| 40 ft | blank | 12,000 |
Problem 1: net capacity at a listed radius
Radius 30 ft, 80 ft boom. The hook block is 500 lb and the rigging is 300 lb. Can the crane pick a 18,500 lb payload?
Answer: no. Gross capacity is 19,000 lb. Deductions are 500 + 300 = 800 lb, so net capacity is 19,000 − 800 = 18,200 lb. The payload is 300 lb over it.
Problem 2: radius between two rows
Radius 25 ft, 60 ft boom. The hook block is 600 lb and the rigging is 400 lb. What percent of net capacity does a 15,000 lb payload use?
Answer: 75.0%. 25 ft sits between the 20 ft and 30 ft rows, so read the 30 ft row: 21,000 lb gross. Deductions are 600 + 400 = 1,000 lb, so net capacity is 20,000 lb. Percent of net capacity = 15,000 ÷ 20,000 × 100 = 75.0%.
Read the configuration before the numbers
Start with the correct equipment, boom, attachments, support setup and lift area. Follow the chart's own instructions for intermediate dimensions and deductions; our ceiling rule is only a rule for these invented charts. A capacity comparison alone does not check ground support, rigging limits, line pull, weather or the lift path.
OSHA requires applicable manufacturer procedures to be followed, load charts and procedures to be available to the operator, and rated capacity not to be exceeded. Our practice rounding rules, bold line and synthetic numbers are not OSHA ratings or procedures. Always use your crane's own chart and procedures.
If your radius falls between two printed rows, the load chart interpolation drill gives you ten rounds on that one step.
Source: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 29 CFR 1926.1417 — Operation, sections (a), (c)(1), (o) and (r). This public general source supports the manufacturer-procedure guidance; it does not supply our invented chart data.
Formulas and a worked example
Net payload capacity = gross chart capacity − total applicable deductions. Payload is within this arithmetic limit when payload ≤ net capacity. Percent of net capacity = payload ÷ net capacity × 100. This is different from total suspended load ÷ gross capacity; every percentage question here explicitly uses net payload capacity.
Example: Practice A, radius 25 ft and main boom 70 ft. These practice notes select the 30 ft row and 80 ft column: gross capacity 24,000 lb. With a 600 lb hook block, 800 lb stowed jib allowance and 200 lb rigging, deductions total 1,600 lb. Net capacity = 24,000 − 1,600 = 22,400 lb. A 16,800 lb payload is within that limit and uses 16,800 ÷ 22,400 × 100 = 75.0% of net capacity.
Where the practice numbers come from
Source: Boom Angle editorial team, Synthetic practice-chart specification v1, 17 Oct 2026 (original teaching model, not published crane reference data). No manufacturer chart or NCCCO chart is reproduced, and every problem is our own.
At listed radius R (ft) and main-boom length L (ft): S = B − 200 × (L − 40); T = M ÷ R; gross capacity (lb) = 100 × floor(min(S, T) ÷ 100). Practice A uses B = 36,000 lb and M = 720,000 lb·ft; Practice B uses B = 30,000 lb and M = 540,000 lb·ft. S ≤ T is labeled structural; otherwise stability. The bold line follows that change in each column. Cells with R > L − 10 are blank.
These constants, the geometry cutoff and all deduction allowances are invented. The formula simply creates round, decreasing teaching values; it is not an engineering method for determining a crane's actual capacity. The net-capacity and percentage equations above are arithmetic definitions used by these exercises.
NCCCO load chart practice FAQ
What do these NCCCO load chart practice questions ask?
Each set has 10 problems: 4 gross capacity lookups, 2 net capacity after deductions, 2 within or exceeds net capacity, and 2 percent of net capacity. They switch between Practice A and Practice B, and some radii and boom lengths fall between the printed rows and columns. Check an answer and the full solution shows every step, from the chart cell to the final number.
How much of the NCCCO written test is load charts?
Load Charts is about 27% of the Core written exam and about 35% of each specialty exam (LAT, TLL and TSS). Core gives you no calculator, so the subtraction and percentages are done by hand. LAT, TLL and TSS allow a calculator.
How do I use this as a load chart practice test?
Start a set and answer all 10 before you look at a solution, then score yourself out of 10. Print this set gives you the same 10 problems with answer lines and an answer key on its own page, so you can work them in pencil the way Core asks; choose your browser's PDF option to keep a copy. Type a different seed number for a fresh set, or copy a link so a study partner works the same one.
Are these NCCCO or manufacturer load charts?
No. Practice A and Practice B are invented by the Boom Angle editorial team from a teaching formula, so the numbers match no crane. No manufacturer chart or NCCCO chart is reproduced, and every problem is our own. Never use them to plan or approve a lift: your crane's own chart and procedures govern real lifts.